Indicator lamp



C. S. SLOAN INDICATOR LAMP' Filed Dec. 2l, 1964 `Fan. 24, 1967 A TTR/VEY fwH y n vv5 NL .M\\ A 4 7 l 9 W5 5 @M 1 ifli 6 F- 1 L J M M H 5 er@ l E Z 5 l 9T a 3,300-,638 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 ICC 3,300,638 INDICATOR LAMP Charles S. Sloan, Burbank, Calif. (7704 San Femaudo Road, Sun Valley, Calif. 91352) Filed Dec. 21, 1964` Ser. No. 419,700 7 Claims. (Cl. 240-152) This invention relates to an indicator lamp construction such as used in electronic or electrical instruments and apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide an indicator lamp in which a square holder or shroud with a translucent window encloses the lamp bulb, and which is held squarely and lirmly on a panel or other support.

Another object of the invention is to provide an indicator lamp, as above characterized, that embodies novel means to hold the shroud in alignment with the shrouds of similar lamps on a panel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indicator lamp, as indicated, that embodies snap-retention means for connecting the shroud to the lamp body, said shroud including cam means for effecting release of the shroud for removal to provide access to the lamp bulb.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in an indicator lamp construction that comprises a body adapted to be fixedly secured to a panel or other support, a bulb-holding receptacle fitted into said body from above, a shroud enclosing the engaged portions of the body and receptable from above and including a translucent window illuminable by the light of said bulb, snap-retention means for holding the receptable and shroud in operative position, and means provided on the shroud for releasing the snap-retention means by a simple pull on the shroud in a direction away from the panel.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. l is a cross-sectional View of an indicator lamp according to the present invention, the same being taken on the plane of the line 1-1 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational and partial sectional view taken on a plane normal to the plane of FIG. l, the view showing one-half of the lamp structure, the half omitted being substantially similar.

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the lamp with part of the window thereof broken away.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lamp receptacle of which one-half is shown.

The panel 5 represents a support for the present indicator lamp, a round hole 6 being provided therein. Said hole and others, in any desired arrangement, are fitted with the present indicator lamp.

Said lamp comprises, generally, a body 7 mounting a terminal 8, a nut 9 for locking said body to the panel 5, a receptable 10 fitted into said body from above, snap-retention means 11 to connect the receptacle to the body, a shroud 12 that encloses the interfitting portions of the body and receptacle that extend from the upper or outer surface of the panel, and cam means 13 provided on said shroud for releasing the snap-retention means to enable removal of the shroud from the lamp assembly.

The body 7, preferably metallic, is formed to have a tubular part 15 that extends freely through the hole 6 and has outer screw threads 16, and a rectangular part 17 larger than the hole 6 and having at engagement with the upper face of said panel 5. A through bore 18 is provided in said tubular part 15, the same being fitted with said terminal unit 8 at the end thereof opposite to the rectangular part 17. Said unit, as shown, is provided with a central terminal 19 and with a side terminal 20, carried by an insulating plug 21. An annular shoulder 22 is defined between the upper end of bore 18 and an upwardly extending counterbore 23.

The nut 9, when drawn up on the threads 16 and against the under face of the panel 5, draws the rectangular part 17 tightly down on the upper face of the panel, thereby iirmly connecting the body 7 to the panel.

The receptacle 10, also metallic, has a tubular portion 24 that has a smooth fit in the bore 18; an annular abutment 25 at the upper end of said tubular portion 24 is adapted to fit against the shoulder 22. A sleeve 26 in an axial bore of tubular portion 24 mounts a bulb socket (not shown) for a lamp bulb 27. Said socket is provided with a central contact 28 and an annular contact 29 which, respectively, are engaged with the terminals 19 and 20. Reference is had to Patent No. 3,084,304 regarding the arrangement ofthe terminals and contacts, since the same do not constitute a feature of this invention.

The snap-retention means 11 comprises an extension 30 on the body 7 above the rectangular part 17, a complementary part 31 comprising an upper extension of the tubular portion 24 of the receptacle 10, and a spring member 32.

The extension 30, as best seen in FIG. l, comprises a circular rib which has a triangular cross-sectional form. The complementary part 31 has a circular groove 33, shown also in FIG. 4, which has a smooth interiit with the rib 30. A pair of parallel, laterally disposed grooves 34 are formed in opposite edge portions of the rib 30. Similarly spaced and located grooves 35 are provided in the complementary part 31.

The spring member 32 is formed of spring wireto have two parallel legs 36 that are connected at one end by a loop 37. Said legs 36 reside in the opposite grooves 35 of the receptacle 10 and, as shown best in FIG. 4, the middle portions 38 thereof are exposed in the space dened by circular groove 33 that is open at the bottom of the receptacle part 31. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ends 39 of the spring legs 36 extend beyond'the opposite edges 40 of said receptacle part 31.

The shroud 12 is shown as a square frame 41 that is fitted with a window 42 through which diffused light from the lamp bulb 27 is Visible. It will be clear that the window is cemented in place in the shroud frame after the receptacle 10 is assembled in the frame.

The cam means 13 comprises sloping faces 43 on the opposite end of cleats 44 that are preferably integrally provided on the inner sides of two of the four walls that comprise the frame 41. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, said cleats 44 are parallel and narrow the opening of the shroud frame so the opposite side edges 45 of the body part 17 are framed thereby. As seen best in FIGS. l and 3, the spring legs 36 are normally aligned with the elevated ends of the cam faces 43. In this position, the middle portions 38 of the legs are engaged in the grooves 34 of the body part 17 while the leg ends adjacent the ends 39 are engaged in the groove 35 of the receptacle part 31. It is clear, therefore, that the body 9 and receptacle 10 are locked in assembly by said spring legs 36, the loop 37 retaining the legs 36 in this position.

It will be seen that the shroud 12 is retained in assembly due to the leg ends 39 of the spring 32 being above and engaged with the cleats 44 of the shroud frame 41. It is a simple matter to remove the shroud 12 by pulling on the same in a direction away from the support 5. The sloping cam faces will then become effective to spread the spring legs 36 apart against the bias of the spring in the loop 37. The middle portions 38 of said legs will be withdrawn laterally from the grooves 34 of the body 7, enabling said leg portions 38 to clear the extension 30 of the body 7 so the shroud may be lifted off the support 5.

Assembly of the above indicator lamp is as follows:

The body 7 is first mounted on the support panel 5 and, after aligning the body part 17 as desired, the nut 9 is tightened. The shroud 12 is then placed on said part 17 with the cleats 44 thereof engaging the opposite side edges 45 of the same. Now, with the spring 32 assembled onto the receptacle 10, the tubular portion 24 of the latter is inserted into the bore 18 of the body with the part 31 thereof slide-fitting in the shroud frame 41 and, therefore, being squared with the complementary extension 30 ofthe body. Now, when the receptacle is pushed into the body, the portions 38 of the spring legs 36 will engage and be spread by the conical face 46 of the extension rib 30 so said spring leg portions 38 may ride said face and move into snap-retention in the grooves 34 of the body.

The window 42 is then cemented in place to complete the assembly.

It will be noted from FIG. 4 that the groove 35 has opposite portions removed due to the narrowing of the receptacle part 31 between edges 40. The rib 30 has similarly omitted opposite portions, as a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2 will reveal. These two parts, when turned 90 relative to the described position above, may be separated in case the same have been assembled in error without the shroud in place. This obviates the need for removing the spring 32 to effect such separation and greatly facilitates experimentation, as well as enabling correction of omission of the shroud from the assembly.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An indicator lamp comprising:

(a) a hollow lamp body adapted to be fixedly mounted on a support member with a portion of said body extending above the upper face of said member,

(b) a lamp bulb receptacle fitted into the hollow of said body with a portion thereof engaged with the mentioned portion of the body,

(c) a spring member comprising parallel spring legs engaged with and connecting said body and receptacle portions to hold the receptacle against longitudinal separation from the body,

(d) a shroud enclosing said engaged and connected body and receptacle portions and disposed upon the upper face of the support member, and

(e) means provided on the shroud beneath said spring legs to engage and spread said legs apart to withdraw the same from connecting engagement with the receptacle to enable removal of the shroud and expose the receptacle from above.

2. An indicator lamp according to claim 1 in which the engaged portions of the body and receptacle have:

(a) complementary interfitting faces of which the face of the body portion is conically sloped,

(b) said engaged portions having registering laterally open grooves, the mentioned spring legs extending through said grooves to connect the body and receptacle as mentioned,

(c) said conical face of the body portion spreading said legs during assembly of the receptacle in the body together with the shroud so the same may snap into the grooves in the body, and

(d) the mentioned means on the shroud comprising sloping cam portions that similarly spread the spring legs during removal of the shroud.

3. An indicator lamp according to claim 2 in which the conical face of the body portion is round and axially centered on the body, opposite portions of the face being omitted to enable endwise separation of the body and receptacle upon relative rotation thereof.

4. An indicator light according to claim 2 in which a flexible loop connects the spring legs at one end thereof and biases the same toward each other into the mentioned grooves.

5. An indicator lamp comprising:

(a) a hollow lamp body adapted to be ixedly mounted on a support member with a portion of said body extending above the upper face of said member,

(b) a lamp bulb receptacle fitted into the hollow of said body with a portion thereof engaged with the mentioned portion of the body,

(c) a spring member comprising parallel spring legs engaged with and connecting said body and receptacle portions to hold the receptacle against longitudinal separation from the body,

(d) a shroud enclosing said engaged and connected body and receptacle portions and disposed upon the upper face of the support member,

(e) means on the mentioned body portion to spread the spring legs during assembly of the receptacle and shroud with the body,

(f) said body having oppositely open grooves in which the legs are received in snap-retention engagement at the completion of said assembly, and

(g) means provided on the shroud beneath the spring legs to spread and retract the same from the grooves in the body, when the shroud is moved in a direction away from the support member.

6. An indicator lamp according to claim 5 in which a flexible loop connects the spring legs at one end thereof and biases the same toward each other into the mentioned grooves.

7. An indicator lamp according to claim 6 in which the mentioned means on the shroud comprises sloping cam portions that similarly spread the spring legs during removal of the shroud.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,695 3/1939 Wilhelm 340-381 2,205,380 6/ 1940 Batcheller 24U-8.16

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INDICATOR LAMP COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW LAMP BODY ADAPTED TO BE FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON A SUPPORT MEMBER WITH A PORTION OF SAID BODY EXTENDING ABOVE THE UPPER FACE OF SAID MEMBER, (B) A LAMP BULB RECEPTACLE FITTED INTO THE HOLLOW OF SAID BODY WITH A PORTION THEREOF ENGAGED WITH THE MENTIONED PORTION OF THE BODY, (C) A SPRING MEMBER COMPRISING PARALLEL SPRING LEGS ENGAGED WITH AND CONNECTING SAID BODY AND RECEPTACLE PORTIONS TO HOLD THE RECEPTACLE AGAINST LONGITUDINAL SEPARATION FROM THE BODY, (D) A SHROUD ENCLOSDING SAID ENGAGED AND CONNECTED BODY AND RECEPTACLE PORTIONS AND DISOSED UPON THE UPPER FACE OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER, AND (E) MEANS PROVIDED ON THE SHROUD BENEATH SAID SPRING LEGS TO ENGAGE AND SPREAD SAID LEGS APART TO WITHDRAW THE SAME FROM CONNECTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RECEPTACLE TO ENABLE REMOVAL OF THE SHROUD AND EXPOSE THE RECEPTACLE FROM ABOVE. 